Smoked Haddock, Spinach, Ricotta, Cheddar and Spring Onion Pizza

Smoked haddock, ricotta, spinach, cheddar — I’ve been playing with this combination of ingredients for years, but hadn't topped a pizza with it until now. I won't be looking back. Lightly smoked haddock has a wonderful oaky flavor that pairs beautifully with creamy ricotta and fleshy, tender spinach. Mature cheddar adds a rich, salty tang, and the spring onions offer a nice allium bite. 

My local fishmonger in Dorset smokes locally caught haddock in a lean-to next to his shop. Naturally smoked fish has the most wonderful flavor and nice subtle color (unlike imitation haddock, which is dyed bright yellow to mimic the real thing). I always like to pick up a fillet or two when I pass by because it’s just so good. I use it in savory pies, drop it into soups, flake it into omelettes, and now, on my pizzas. If you like smoky flavors, you’ll love this. 

It’s worth noting that the spinach in this recipe needs to be cooked and squeezed dry before pre-topping to avoid making your pizza soggy; I prefer to use a  cast iron pan in my Ooni. Tender young spinach leaves wilt down in a matter of minutes, so it shouldn't hold you up.


Difficulty

Servings

4x10” pizzas

Prep Time

40 minutes

Cook Time

2 minutes

By Gill Meller

Smoked Haddock, Spinach, Ricotta, Cheddar and Spring Onion Pizza

Note

If smoked fish isn't your thing, swap it out with some smoky pancetta or crack an egg in the middle as it goes into the oven to add an embellishment.

Gill Meller

Gill Meller is a UK-based chef, award-winning food writer, food stylist and cookery teacher. Gill works closely with chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and River Cottage, and appears regularly on the celebrated Channel 4 series. A contributor to the Observer, Guardian, Waitrose Food, Telegraph and Country Living to name a few, Gill’s recipe column can be found in the award-winning delicious. magazine  every month. Gill's first book, Gather (2016), won the Fortnum & Mason Award for Best Debut Food Book, and both Time (2018) and Root, Stem, Leaf, Flower (2020) were nominated for the Guild of Food Writers’ Cookbook of the Year. He is also the author of the River Cottage Handbook on Outdoor Cooking and, more recently, Outside: Cooking Outdoors - Recipes for the Wild (2022).